Evie Coles
Premium kids content producer Cottonwood Media, kids content creator Coolabi Productions, and ZDF Studios, along with leading broadcasters BBC Children’s and Education, ZDF, and France Télévisions, announce principal photography, casting, and the writing team for the new tween drama spy series "The Lady Grace Mysteries".
"The Lady Grace Mysteries", which targets 8–12-year-olds, is set in the British court of Queen Elizabeth I and blends the magic of the historical Elizabethan Golden Age with contemporary teenage life. Principal photography will commence in Brussels on April 14, later moving to County Durham in the UK as of May (filming in and around the location’s stunning medieval castles).
"The Lady Grace Mysteries" (10 x 24’) is a Cottonwood Media and Coolabi Group production, in co-production with ZDF Studios. The series is commissioned by Children’s and Education (for BBCiPlayer and CBBC) and ZDF, with a pre-sale to France Télévisions. Federation Kids & Family and ZDF Studios are handling worldwide sales. The title is based on the children’s detective fiction novels of the same name, which were first published in 2004. Their immense popularity led to the publication of 12 titles in the series, multiple international editions, and over 300,000 books sold worldwide.
"The Lady Grace Mysteries" welcomes newcomer Evie Coles as lead protagonist ‘Lady Grace Cavendish,’ Queen Elizabeth’s lady-in-waiting. She is joined by Carys John ("Malory Towers", "The Last Bus") as Ellie Bunting, and Rafael Alessandro as Masou, who play her best friends in court. The series also stars Fintan Buckard ("Phoenix Rise") as Grace’s love interest Lord Osborne, Twinkle Jaiswal ("Malory Towers") as Lady Sarah, and Rebecca Scott ("Game of Thrones") as Queen Elizabeth. Meanwhile, lead Director (and MD, Cottonwood Media Ltd) Alexander Jacob is joined by Episodic Director Louise Ni Fhiannachta ("Flatmates", "Silverpoint").
The stellar writing team is led by Emmy Award-winning Anna McCleery (NETFLIX’s "Free Rein", "A Kind of Spark" for CBBC/BYU, "Hollyoaks" for C4) who is joined by Joe Williams ("Theodosia", "Hank Zipzer"), Vicki Lutas ("Free Rein"), Jayshree Patel ("Waterloo Road"), and Karissa Hamilton-Bannis ("Hollyoaks").
"The Lady Grace Mysteries" tells the story of Lady Grace Cavendish, the world’s first female teenage detective working as a private spy for Queen Elizabeth I, who navigates the dangerous waters of royal politics in an English court full of plots, threats, and mystery. Grace has spent her youth outwitting palace guards, avoiding the responsibilities of being a lady-in-waiting, and most importantly, finessing the fine art of swiping jam tarts! With her best friends – the savvy Ellie, and the dazzling performer Masou at her side – she must deal with the trials and tribulations of being a teenage girl, while investigating perilous mysteries.
Sarah Muller, Senior Head of Children’s Commissioning 7+ for BBC Children’s and Education, praised the title: “Lady Grace is the ultimate tween spy who our young audience will love. Unveiling the new cast and creatives leading the production is one step closer to seeing these much-loved stories of intrigue and mystery come to life on screen," noted.
Meanwhile, Nicole Keeb, Head of International Co-productions and Acquisitions, Children and Youth programs, ZDF, Celebrated the agreement with Cottonwood: "We are delighted to be part of this new adventure with Cottonwood: 'The Lady Grace Mysteries' will fit perfectly into our portfolio of high-quality live-action series. We cannot wait to get the show on air," commented.
Also, Claire Heinrich, Head of Acquisitions, Children’s & Youth, France Télévisions, reviewed some of the key highlights of the title: "We're delighted to continue our partnership with Cottonwood Media with this new project, which has all the ingredients to appeal to the older fringe of Okoo’s audience. The historical context of Elizabeth I’s royal court, with its many possibilities for intrigue, is a sumptuous setting for the breathless adventures of Lady Grace, a determined and inspiring teenager who also finds herself confronted with very contemporary issues, all with a resolutely modern tone," highlighted.
FInally, Manon Ardisson, Head of Drama, Cottonwood Media, considered that the proposal has a very unique setting.: “This series will offer a fun, modern, and light-hearted take on the Golden Age of Elizabeth I: our characters and their stories are completely relatable for kids today, but the unique setting allows us to showcase extraordinary costumes and stunning historical locations that will draw audiences in from the get-go," added.